Comedian Nish Kumar says presence of sexual predators in industry is ‘open secret’ following Russell Brand allegations
Nish Kumar says young women have been advised to steer clear of dressing rooms used by ‘predators’ still working on the comedy scene.
The comedian also said the knowledge of Russell Brand‘s alleged abuse against young women was “a well-known open secret on the comedy circuit” and he thinks it’s likely “there’s more allegations to come”.
Russell Brand
Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse and sexual misconduct by a number of women – claims he vehemently denies.
Speaking on his Pod Save The UK podcast, Kumar said: “This stuff is still happening, there are still people working in comedy who are the subject of open secrets.
“There are still people who work in comedy that we can’t name because again, of the threat of lawsuits. And there are still people working in comedy who people will say, ‘Oh, we don’t send young women into their dressing room’.”
The 38-year-old added: “Now at that stage for me, you should be sacked from that job. If you can’t have someone be around young women, they have no place in any kind of workplace.
“The tolerance of it is something that we are going to have to actually have a reckoning with.”
Kumar, who previously hosted The Mash Report and Late Night Mash – said he first heard about Brand’s alleged wrongdoings in mid-2017, and that “from that point onwards it was well known”.
He said it went on to be discussed by multiple comedians at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018.
However, he said the “very specific and serious allegation” against Brand that he had first been made aware of was not one that was discussed in the Channel 4 Dispatches programme which aired at the weekend.
For that reason, Kumar said he thinks “it is possible that there’s more allegations to come”.
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Pointing to Brand’s diminishing TV work in the UK after 2019, Kumar said: “That’s simply because increasingly people were just not willing to work with him. Everyone was afraid to talk about it because of the threat of lawsuits, you know?
“And so, the only power people had was to withdraw participation from shows involving Russell Brand.”
Abuse of power is an industry wide problem
He said as a comedian working in the industry, he too felt a sense of “guilt” and “complicity”.
Kumar said: “Watching it as a cisgendered, heterosexual male comedian, you feel a certain sense of guilt and a certain sense of complicity because you’ve been working with production companies and producers who are providing an infrastructure that allows predators to thrive.”
He said the “indulgence” of top talent was “an issue that cuts across all of the industries,” and which needed to be addressed.
Kumar concluded: “The only people to come out of this with anything approaching any credibility are the victims who have been brave enough to step forward and the journalists who have worked extremely hard to produce rigorous pieces of journalism so that they could get around the threats of a very powerful man’s lawyers.”
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Brand, 48, was initially accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by four women with the alleged offences taking place between 2006 and 2013.
The comedian and presenter denies the claims, and says all his relationships have been consensual.
Following the report by the Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches, two further women have come forward with allegations against Brand.
The Metropolitan Police says it has received an allegation of sexual assault against him dating back to 2003.
The BBC also says it is looking into allegations by a woman who claims Brand exposed himself to her and then laughed about it afterwards on his Radio 2 show.
In the wake of the claims, numerous companies have cut ties with Brand including his management company, a women’s charity and several of his YouTube sponsors.
Sky News has approached Russell Brand for comment.
A man has been given a prison sentence over social media posts in relation to the Southport stabbings.
Geraint Boyce, 43, from Rhondda Cynon Taf, pleaded guilty to publishing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred.
Boyce has been jailed for two years – he will serve half of that before he is released on licence.
The charge related to Facebook posts made by Boyce on 31 July during widespread disorder across the UK.
Riots followed the deaths of three girls who were allegedly stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
In August, the King visited the town after the deaths of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
Nearly 400 people have so far been jailed for offences relating to the disorder, the government has said.
Prosecuting barrister Alex Orndal told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court that one post “showed an image of a mosque, with [Boyce’s] caption being, ‘No more mosques’.”
Within the comments section, he said mosques should be “burned down” with people inside.
He was arrested on 9 August and, while under caution, asked: “Is this because of the online stuff to do with the riots?”
The court heard the defendant was logged into the account from which the posts had been made at the time of his arrest.
In another post, he posted an image of a lion with the Union Jack and commented, “I’m ready for war”.
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In mitigation, defence barrister Nicholas Gedge said Boyce was “ashamed of what he did”.
“He held views at the time as a result of what he himself had seen online, unfortunately,” he added.
“He held, or was sympathetic to views, that were wrong, which he wholly recognises now.”
Mr Gedge added that the defendant “expresses through me, to this court, remorse for what he did, and I think remorse to society generally”.
“He really wants people to live peacefully together,” he added.
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Sentencing Boyce, Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said the posts showed his intention “was to incite serious violence”.
She noted that the offending took place “during a particularly sensitive social climate” and concluded that “appropriate punishment can only be achieved with immediate custody”.
UK
Kate meets families of Southport stabbing victims in first community visit since cancer diagnosis
The Princess of Wales has made a surprise visit to Southport with the Prince of Wales to meet the families of the three girls who died following the knife attack this summer.
It is a rare public appearance by the princess – her first community visit since the end of last year, her first since her cancer diagnosis and the end of her chemotherapy.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed to the media that Prince William would be making the trip to Southport, but just ahead of his arrival on Thursday it was announced that Kate had also decided to join her husband.
In private they met the families of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, who died as a result of the attack at The Hart Space community centre in July.
A Taylor Swift yoga and dance workshop aimed at primary school children in Year 2 to Year 6 was taking place at the time of the attack. Eight other children and two adults were also injured.
The royal couple also met one of the dance teachers who was leading the session.
Victims Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice Dasilva Aguiar and Bebe King.
Pic: Merseyside Police
It is understood William and Kate wanted to visit now to show their ongoing support for the families, the community and the first responders who attended the scene and the subsequent riots.
They met up with those members of the 999 services to hear their recollections of the day and spoke to police, ambulance and fire chiefs about the ongoing mental health support for staff.
Following the attack, the prince and princess issued a statement saying: “As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through.
“We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.”
Through their Royal Foundation they also made a donation to the National Police Wellbeing Service’s fundraiser to help fast track psychological and physical rehab for police and ambulance personnel.
In August, the King met with some of the children who survived the attack and thanked members of the community for their bravery and spirit.
Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 years old at the time and has now turned 18, has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
The visit comes after the princess announced in March that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
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Watch Kate’s family video in full
In a video in September, she confirmed she had finished her preventative chemotherapy, and while she would begin doing more work, she would only be carrying out light public duties as she continues her recovery.
Last week, she was photographed hugging teenage cancer patient Liz Hatton, and this year she has attended more formal and family events such as Wimbledon and Trooping the Colour.
But this trip to Southport is her first community visit meeting members of the public with her husband since the end of 2023.
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